Abstract
Abstract. Dynamics of large amplitude internal waves in two-layers of shallow water is considered. It is demonstrated that in laboratory experiments the subsurface waves of depression over a shelf may be simulated by internal symmetric solitary waves of the mode 2 ("lump-like" waves). The mathematical model describing the propagation and decaying of large internal waves in two-layer fluid is introduced. It is a variant of Choi-Camassa equations with hydrostatic pressure distribution in one of the layers. It is shown that the numerical scheme developed for the Green-Naghdi equations in open channel flows may be applied for the description of large amplitude internal waves over a shelf.
Highlights
Propagation of high amplitude internal waves in a shelf zone is the very important physical mechanism of coastal water ventilation
The amplitude of the internal waves propagating in a twolayer fluid may exceed many times the initial depth of one of the layers without considerable breaking in contrast to the high amplitude surface waves
The mathematical models 2 and 3 with the hydrostatic pressure distribution in one of the layers show that the formation of large-amplitude solitary waves in a two-layer fluid in a channel of finite depth is due to www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/11/17/2011/
Summary
Propagation of high amplitude internal waves in a shelf zone is the very important physical mechanism of coastal water ventilation. Intrusion flows in the form of symmetric solitary waves at the interface between fluids have been studied using experimental and theoretical methods (Benjamin, 1967; Davis and Acrivos, 1967; Maxworthy, 1980; Kao and Pao, 1980; Tung et al, 1982; Hohji et al, 1995; Stamp and Jacka, 1995; Schmidt and Spigel, 2000). Interest in this class of flows is motivated by their unique ability to transfer mass along high-gradient interlayers in a stratified fluid due to the initial horizontal momentum.
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